Present your Bodies (Part 1)

Present your Bodies (Part 1)

The Start: Justification

Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

When we believe the gospel of God’s Son, we have peace with God through our Lord, Jesus Christ. There is NOTHING that can change or threaten that peace we have! It is not dependent on us! That peace is through Christ. Justification is a legal word dealing with one’s judicial standing before God, the Judge. Biblical justification equates to the ungodly sinner being declared righteous, blameless, and innocent, being set free of all charges before God’s throne. Justification = just as if I never sinned.

The End: Adoption and glorification

Rom 8:23-24  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

Not only has God justified me, but I am now waiting for the adoption, the redemption of my body.

Rom 8:30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

These scriptures literally take a believer from justification to glorification. Keep this in mind as we continue to explore this topic.

Between the Start and the End: Grace

Many people say, “I’m justified, but I’m under sin until I get a new body!” Maybe they use that as an excuse to continue in their pattern of living. But what they confess is NOT true. We are no longer under sin. We are under grace!

JUSTIFICATION Legal standing / Not guilty

Under grace ----------------> Under sin

GLORIFICATION New body

Rom 6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 

This is a statement which must be understood in the context of information that came before it. As preceding information informs, sin cannot affect you when you are dead to it! Likewise, sin cannot reign and have dominion where God’s grace reigns. None of this mean you are going to be sinless in your flesh because Paul is not dealing with the flesh here. If he was, how could he say that we have died?

Thus, correctly understood, between justification and glorification, while we wait for the hope of righteousness, we are under the grace of God. But what does that mean? Respectfully, what is God doing?

4-Characteristics of the Body

1Cor 15:42-44  So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:  (43)  It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:  (44)  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

Our new glorified body is EVERYTHING our current body is NOT! Incorruptible, glorious, powerful, and spiritual. It is easy to see how we can be of use to God in our new bodies, but what about this current time? Why would Paul tell us to present our old bodies to God while we are in a body of flesh that is full of corruption, dishonour, and weakness?

God needs our bodies

Consider this,

1Cor 1:27-28  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;  (28)  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

Until you get that glorified body, God wants your current one! What?? Why? What would God want with this weak, corrupt, vile, sinful body?

Rom 12:1-2  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  (2)  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

So, you’re getting a new body, but what are you to do with the one you are in right now? You are to present it to God because God’s got a use for it.

2Cor 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

2Cor 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

God wants this corrupt body to display the excellency of the power of His word working effectually in us through faith. He is wanting to put on display in our mortal bodies the eternal life of His Son. God wants you to offer your body as a living sacrifice so that he can quicken it by His word, transform it by the grace doctrine, and bring it to the point that it conforms to the image of His Son. God wants to use your body to glorify Jesus Christ.

Stay tuned for Part 2...